Adventures in Morocco
“Go out and adventure my friends,” advised Elizabeth Cochran ’19 in a blog recounting her spring semester in Morocco. The psychology major received a prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S.
Department of State to study in Meknes, a historic imperial city on the country’s
north-central coast. She is McKendree’s fifth Gilman Scholar.
Elizabeth had never flown until she set out for North Africa. On arrival, she experienced
the frustrations and difficulties of a newcomer in an unfamiliar culture—but also
delighted in sightseeing, trying new foods and making friends. With a positive attitude,
she was soon navigating the local outdoor marketplace, practicing French and Arabic,
and overcoming the language barrier with gestures and body language.
She took courses at the Arabic Study Center in Meknes and volunteered at A Smile Center,
which provides services and education for single mothers and their children. Elizabeth
eventually saw the impact she had made. “I saw progress in the kids as they [began]
to write. I taught them colors, pronouns, some songs, and it touched my heart. They
started to learn and I saw that what I was doing was helping them,” she wrote. “Learning
from these women and serving at this organization really opened my eyes to different
perspectives and the meaning of community.
“My experiences with a new language, cultural immersion, new perspectives, fears of
trying new things, and adapting are all a part of the process when being in a new
environment. You can choose to adapt, learn more about the situation, and view it
in a more positive mindset. This is what enhances growth and helps gain new insights
about life, others, and yourself. I have learned to laugh at myself and just enjoy
the process of struggling or the unknown.”
In November, Elizabeth will begin teaching English for a year at TFU Language School
in Bangkok, Thailand.
